to vow never to collect for Christian Aid ever again.

[bogwobbit]

Nothing to do with the charity, which I think is an excellent one, but jeez people in this country are soooooooo miserable.
I can understand why people for various reasons can't or don't want to give to a specific charity and I can appreciate (especially after reading some other threads on this topic and by the way yes, all you people who complain about people daring to knock on your door collecting for charity, are unreasonable and imho quite selfish) that not everyone likes to be asked on their doorstep (very nicely in my case) if they would like to donate but why do people have to be so rude and smug and downright horrible about it. It's almost as though NOT giving to charity is some kind of positive personality trait. Funnily enough the nicest, most generous ones are the little old ladies who quite possibly can least afford it.

So after spending five hours of my time, trudging through the rain and the hail and the wind in freezing temperatures after a full day at work, never again!! Rant over but jeez, another nail in the coffin, for my faith in humanity :)

I am and that the government think it is in any way acceptable to choose to match donations to a religious charity! Beyond words!

"Most charities are rackets anyway with the bulk of funding supporting their own admin"

deargdoom, in 2010-11, for every £1 raised as part of Christian Aid week, 83p was used for direct charitable expenditure.

Here's a link to the FAQs about Christian Aid week.

"think I will have a bit of sport wth the CA if they come back along the same lines..."

Why? They're not attempting to convert you.

Offred, in what way do you object to the work of Christian Aid?

CA never try to convert anyone and they help people regardless of race or religion. Their beliefs are simply a springboard to helping others. The main focus country this year is Sierra Leone.

Sometimes it seems that Christians can't win - people are quick to say that churches and Christians are too self-centred and don't seem to help others or do anything useful, but as soon as they do something like trying to help the poor, that's not right either

I don't want to give to a charity that needs to promote religious beliefs through charity work. What is wrong with christians expressing their beliefs through charity without having their own "christian aid" charity. There can only be one answer, that christianity is fundamental to the aid they provide, this is of the same ilk as missionary work in my mind. I do not think it is appropriate for taxpayer money to be given to it. If the government wants to support people in poverty overseas they could choose a charity that is not associated with a church. I find it unacceptable.

Therefore all you need to say is 'no thank you' when they collect.

As a collector I am not interested in people's beliefs, I just get an envelope or don't get one, hopefully as quick as possible.

I don't think the government did call to ask if it was ok to give taxpayer cash to a christian charity exotic. If they had I would have said, very politely "no thank you".

Christian Aid themselves don't call round to my house. If they did I would explain that I did not want them to and why.

same as I would explain to help for heroes. I am even less comfortable with charity when it has manipulative associations with promoting ideology such as religion or the idea of soldiers always being heroes just by their very nature. It doesn't matter what good work they might do.

What is wrong with oxfam?

I think a lot of people with a religious faith would see that faith as informing their charitable actions. That is fundamental to their giving in that their principles are shaped by that. I'm not sure I necessarily think that for myself, but then I am a rather bad and struggling Catholic. Christian Aid was of course started by Christians, but with the clearly expressed aim of providing aid to people regardless of belief. My understanding is that the work it does is no more religious than that of Oxfam say, or Save the Children. I'm not sure then that the motivation of the people involved is important in terms of the work of the charity.

Yes but what I am saying is when there is no material difference in the work done why is there a need for a charity called "Christian Aid"?

If the Government want to help third world poverty what is wrong with supporting oxfam rather than christian aid?

At the very least christian aid are advertising and promoting their faith through the charitable work they do.

Maybe it is because we are a Christian country - I don't know- just guessing.

Because the people who started it, and the people who run it now, feel that they are actively involved because of their faith. Which, although I am not that sort of Christian, is fine by me. Because to me, it is the work, rather than the label, that matters.

If they are doing good work, then I'm not about to tell them to call themselves something else to appease people like me who don't wear their faith on their sleeve.

I think CA wouldn't take kindly to this thread. I'm afraid in reading it I've gone from someone who would stick a couple of quid in the envelope without thinking too much about it to someone who questions the charity altogether.

For example, the FAQs linked to above say that 83p in the £ are spent directly on the charitable work, and 16p on 'raising the next £1'. Where has the extra 1p gone, because that amounts to £125,000 in 2011. Governance of the charity maybe? Noone seems to be governing the collectors on the ground though, they are just randoms pulled together from participating churches, and we've seen on this thread a bit of a mix in attitudes and methods used in collecting.

Also, how much of my two quid in my envelope paid for 'worship resources'? What kind of literature would this be? Would I want to pay for it?

Imagine if it was called 'Muslim Aid' doing the same thing and had the same set of FAQs. Would we still be happy to pay for 'worship resources'? Would the government still pledge £5 million?

Dunno. Glad they didn't come here this year, really.

They are advertising and promoting their charity. I suppose they are also advertising and promoting the fact that a reasonable large group of people who identify as Christian are actively involved in raising money for overseas aid. But it isn't false advertising is it? They are putting their money where their mouth is. I think attributing an underhand motive is rather unfair.

"Why is there a need for a charity called "Christian Aid"?"

Maybe because it was churches and Christians who made the effort to set it up? And because giving to the poor is something they believe in?

I think the government matching charity funds is a good idea. If it encourages more people to donate £1 because it will become £2, then by giving something itself, the government is creating more giving from individuals. This seems financially a good idea, as the government will be helping to create more overseas aid than if it just spent the same amount of money on aid by itself.

This is by no means the only example of government match funding, it covers many areas. Just for example, last Autumn there was match funding for all state schools with KS1 pupils, of up to £3000 to spend on phonics products or training.

The CA matched funding is part of UK Aid Match. This fund will match public donations to appeals for development activities focused on poverty reduction in developing countries. Charities can apply for matched funding if they fit certain criteria.

By matching donations made by the public, the government is following the choices of the public in how its development budget is spent.

Too many pages, but Christian Aid employs some shockingly aggressive people to call at the front door. We had one here call back for the envelope (why no, I didn't keep the envelope to give back to you to use again, I don't read random crap put through my door, and if you've put it through the door and it's inside my house, I think I have the right to toss it out) and question why we would have thrown it out, how we can afford to donate (we donate and volunteer for charities, just not yours, thanks) etc.

I then was talking on Skype with a friend in another part of the country, and he had the same style of interrogation at the front door from a Christian Aid worker. Obviously not the same one.

So no, I'm sorry you get rude people at the front door, but YANBU to not volunteer again. We weren't rude, but I was sorely tempted to be.

Not really Trestle - it doesn't magically 'become' £2. £1 gets taken away from the budget for something else.

If you're a gung-ho advocate of CA, that's great! You've got my tax £1 whether I wanted to give it to you or not! Marvellous!

Leaving aside the question of whether a bung to a Christian charity is the most cost-effective way for a Government to provide overseas aid, it's clearly ethically dubious.

From the charity's POV, it's only going to bring them into counterproductive ill repute with anyone who, like me, wouldn't usually donate to a Xtian charity but is normally quite happy to regard them as a decent organisation who do genuine & sincere good works.

I've now got a really good reason to tell them (politely) to bog off, tbh.